Champagne Braised Chicken with Grape Tomatoes and Capers

Why is it that every time the kids get off from school for a prolonged period of time, the weeks that follow tend to be even busier than before? I guess it's because everyone wants to make up for lost time, but it drives me crazy! Last week was consumed with late nights and running from here to there with little time for meal planning, let alone time to sit down and eat. In our home, July-March is cheering season with January-February being the bulk of our competitions; which means late night practices and no available weekends to prepare for the week ahead. Now with both girls competing this year, it makes life even more chaotic. To assist with my menu planning, I find it helps to make one-pot meals like this Champagne Braised Chicken during the day so that we can quickly reheat and eat on the go since we never seem to all be home at the same time. This chicken dish was fantastic and I just love how the combination of flavors from the champagne, capers, garlic and thyme meld together. 

 Champagne Braised Chicken with Grape Tomatoes and Capers
12 Chicken Thighs, bone-in, skinless (I used Perdue)
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 c. Champagne
1 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
2 tbsp. Capers
1 c. Whole Grape Tomatoes
5 Small Cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
2 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
4-5 Red Potatoes, skins washed and cubed approx. 2" in diameter (approx. 3 cups)
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 
2. Rinse the chicken, pat dry and season with salt and pepper; then heat the oil in a Dutch oven (or oven safe pot) and add the chicken. You may have to do this in two batches. Cook the chicken 5-7 minutes per side; depending on how meaty they are so that they are lightly browned and there is no visible pink. 
3. Remove the chicken and set aside covered with foil to keep warm. 
4. Next, add in the garlic and saute for 1 minute; then add in the champagne to deglaze the pan (which means to scrape all of the bits from the bottom of the pan). 
5. Add in the tomatoes, capers, thyme, potatoes and chicken broth; then add back in the chicken placing them on top of the mixture. (You don't want to boil the chicken, but rather allow the steam finish cooking the process.)
6. Cover the Dutch oven and place in the oven for 1 hour; stirring and basting the chicken about halfway through. 
7. Remove the chicken and potatoes and place in a serving dish; set aside. 
8. Place the liquid back on the stove and boil for 8-10 minutes until the liquid gets slightly thickened; then pour over the chicken. 

*Nutritional Information per Chicken Thigh: Calories 217, Carbs 7.2g, Fat 11.2g, Protein 20.2g, Fiber .9g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

Enjoy! 

*If you like your sauces a little thicker, you can make a mixture of equal parts cornstarch and water to add to the liquid before pouring it over the chicken. 

Fettuccine with Sausage Puttanesca Sauce

This sauce has been on my "to make" list for quite some time, but I was waiting for the right moment. You see, my children never particularly cared for Kalamata olives or capers (or as they lovingly refer to them as "deer poop"...yes I know, I have two comedians on my hands here), but I've been adding them into some of the foods I've been making little by little and they have eaten and liked them each time, just not on their own. 

So when I met Joi, from the Joi of Pickles, at a recent craft fair and book signing event, I just had to try her Kalamata olives. These olives were so fresh and the best part, they were already pitted! I figured I'd make a puttanesca sauce with them and also decided to add in some sausage since I had already taken it out of the freezer. This sauce was INCREDIBLY flavorful with the pungent flavors of garlic and olives and the briny, lemon flavor from the capers. 

Fettuccine with Sausage Puttanesca Sauce
1 lb. Fettuccine
Prepared Sausage Puttanesca Sauce

Sausage Puttanesca Sauce
5 Links Italian Sweet Sausage, casings removed
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 c. Red Onion, chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
3 Plum (Roma) Tomatoes, chopped
1 c. Kalamata Olives, pitted and chopped
2 tbsp. Capers
1/2 c. Red Wine (I used a dry Tuscan)
1/2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
1/4 c. Tomato Paste
Fresh Ground Red Pepper, to taste

Directions: 
1. In a large saute pan, heat 1 tbsp. oil and add the sausage; then break apart using a wooden spoon. Saute until the meat is cooked through and no longer pink. 
2. In a separate pan, heat the remaining 1 tbsp. oil and add in the onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and capers. Saute until the onions start to turn translucent; then add in the wine, chicken broth, tomato paste and red pepper. Stir well, then add in the cooked sausage. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes;
3. Boil a large pot of water and cook pasta according to package directions; drain water. 
4.  Pour the thick sauce over the cooked fettuccine and toss; coating all of the pasta. Serves 6. 

Enjoy! 

It will speed up the preparation process if you assemble all of  your ingredients prior to making the sauce by getting all of your chopping done at once and putting them all in a bowl. 

If you're looking for a Vegetarian option, omit the sausage and use vegetable broth in place of the chicken broth. 

Well, this is it. My last post for 2012. I can't believe this year is coming to a close. It's been a pretty exciting year filled with both good and bad memories, but I'm looking forward to what 2013 has in store.  CEK will be taking some time off to spend quality time with family and friends; and enjoy the spirit of the holiday season. I'll be back January 2, 2013 to ring in the new year with more experiments and I hope you'll follow along on my adventures. 

Thank you for visiting Carrie's Experimental Kitchen 

and from our family to yours, we wish you a joyous 

holiday season and Happy New Year!   ~ Carrie

Shared on Weekend Potluck 1/4/13

Pan Seared Pork in a White Wine, Tomato & Caper Sauce

If you've been reading my posts here on the blog, you've probably heard me talking A LOT about  how I have so many tomatoes this season. Are your gardens full of them this year too? So this week, I've decided to dedicate all of the recipes to tomatoes! That's right. Get out there and pick those vine ripened beauties off the vines before the frost comes (and it will be here sooner than we know it...well, at least here in the Northeast!) because each day, I will be featuring a new recipe utilizing tomatoes. 

Today's recipe is for this pan seared pork. Pan searing is a cooking technique where you cook your meat at a high temperature in a pan over the stove(I used stainless steel). This method allows your meat to form a caramelized crust and also helps to seal in the juices. Usually, the meat will not be fully cooked during this process, so you then have to finish it off in the oven or, like I did here, cover  the pan and allow the steam from the liquid sauce finish cooking your meat until proper internal temperature is reached. 

The other night my hubby came home from an 11 day business trip to Germany and London, so I polled my Facebook page as to what I should make him for dinner. I had so many wonderful suggestions, but when he came home all he wanted was pasta because he had been up for over 24 hours and was exhausted! A few people had mentioned pork so I decided to make him a nice meal the next night and came up with this recipe. It was deliciously moist though a little salty due to the capers (so no need for any extra during the cooking process). My entire family enjoyed it, and I hope yours will too! 

Pan Seared Pork in a White Wine, Tomato & Caper Sauce
4 - 4oz. Boneless Center Cut Pork Chops, trimmed
3/4 c. White Wine
24 Grape Tomatoes. cut in half
2 tbsp. Capers
2 Garlic Cloves, chopped
1 tbsp. Lemon Thyme, removed from step
2 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil 
Fresh Ground Pepper, to taste

Directions:
1. Add 1 tbsp. of the oil to a large saute pan and heat over medium-high. 
2. Season your pork chops with pepper, then place in the hot pan. Sear them on both sides until they turn a caramel brown color; approximately 2-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness (mine were 1 1/2" thick and took about 5 minutes per side).
3. Once browned, remove the pork chops, cover with foil and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tbsp. of oil, then add in your tomatoes, capers, garlic, thyme and white wine; scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan. 
4. Add back in the pork chops, cover and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat; turning once to coat the meat. Serves 4. 

*Nutritional Information per Slice: Calories 247, Carbs 2.6g, Fat 12.3g, Protein 26.4g, Fiber .5g

*Calculations based on ingredients entered into CalorieCount and may not be 100% accurate.

*Tip: You can substitute 12 cherry tomatoes cut in half or 1 cup of any other diced tomatoes. If you don't like to cook with wine, you may substitute chicken or vegetable broth. 

Enjoy!

Roasted Fennel & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad

Did you ever go out to eat and have something several times over the years, but never thought to make it at home? Well, after the food bloggers conference last Friday, Lauren from Lauren Kelly Nutrition and Bia, from Rich and Sweet, and I headed out for some dinner at Supper in NYC. We had originally planned to go to another restaurant but when we got there, there was a "B" sign in the window. Thanks to Bia, who lived and worked in the city for many years, for explaining the NYC Health Violation Codes to us and we went elsewhere. 

Some food service establishments that require Health Department permits will receive and post letter grades that correspond to their sanitary inspection scores. These establishments include most restaurants, coffee shops, bars, nightclubs, cafeterias, retail bakeries, and fixed-site food stands. This document uses the term “restaurants” to refer to all these establishments.Here is a more detailed explanation I found online on NYC Restaurant Grading and what the letters mean:

Grade A. 0 to 13 points for sanitary violations. 
Grade B. 14 to 27 points for sanitary violations. 
Grade C. 28 or more points for sanitary violations.
Grade Pending. A restaurant’s B or C grade is not final until the restaurant has had the opportunity to go before the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Health Tribunal to contest the violations cited against it. Until then, the restaurant has the option to post either the preliminary grade or a card that says “Grade Pending.” Once the grade is final, the restaurant must immediately post the letter grade card and take down the Grade Pending card. that it was a health code sign and it probably wasn't very clean. 

So the next time you head on into the city for dinner, look in the window first. I learn something new everyday! :)

Anyway, back to the story...

We were still quite full from lunch so we opted for some wine and appetizers. One of the items we got was their version of Panzanella salad or Tuscan Bread Salad;  which originated in the Florentine region of Italy. It generally consists of soaked stale bread and chunks of tomatoes and is dressed with olive oil and vinegar and their version was delicious. On Sunday, I was looking for something to make with a london broil I was going to be grilling and since it was a warm day, I wanted to make a salad to go with it. I had a Dove Chocolate Discoveries home party the night before and had an extra loaf of bread leftover. I also had just purchased some beautifully ripe heirloom tomatoes (also known as "ugly" tomatoes) and some fennel that I thought would go nicely in here and boy was I right! My daughter and her friend actually woke up to the smell of the fennel and garlic roasting (I guess that's one way to wake up teenagers!) and came out of the room ready to taste my latest creation. It was a definite hit and we barely had enough for dinnertime as they kept taking "tastes" throughout the day. This salad was so good and I loved how colorful it was. 

Roasted Fennel & Heirloom Tomato Panzanella Salad
1/2 Fennel Bulb, chopped
1 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Cloves Garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
1/4 tsp. Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Loaf Italian Bread (1-2 days old ok)
2 tbsp. Fresh Basil, chopped
2 Heirloom ("Ugly") Tomatoes, large dice
Prepared Dressing

In a bowl, mix together the fennel, garlic,  oil, salt and pepper. Add to a baking sheet and roast at 425 for 10 minutes. Cut the bread into cubes, place on a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. Bake at 425 for 5-10 minutes. Add the tomatoes, basil, fennel mixture and bread to a large bowl. Next, add in the dressing and mix well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Serves 4-6. 

Dressing
2 tsp. Capers
3 tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar
1/4 c. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese, grated

Blend all ingredients together in a mini chopper or blender until smooth. 

Enjoy! 

Chicken Piccata

Piccata vs. Francaise...What's the difference? Well, not too much actually. They both can be made with chicken, veal or fish and both consist of a lemon butter sauce. The difference is that while Francaise dips the meat into an eggwash then flour before pan frying; Piccata only dips the meat into flour and also adds capers to it's lemon butter sauce. 

Capers grow in the Mediterranean on a perennial plant that bears round leaves and white to pinkish-white flowers. I was actually shocked to see that they grow out of the rocks in Santorini, Greece and not in the ground. After the caper buds are picked, they are dried in the sun then pickled in vinegar, brine or salt. They have a tangy, lemony flavor similar to green olives and add another nuance to your dish. 

Chicken Piccata
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts, sliced horizontally into 1/4" thick pieces(approx. 20 slices)
1/2 c. All-Purpose Flour
1 tbsp. Butter
1/4 c. Canola Oil

Sauce
1 tbsp. Butter
1 tbsp. All-Purpose Flour
1 Lemon, juice only
2 tbsp. Capers
1/2 c. White Wine (I used Pinot Grigio)
2 c. Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

Dip each piece of chicken  into the flour until all pieces are coated. In a large nonstick frying pan, melt 1 tbsp. butter and oil and add the chicken. Cook 2-3 minutes per side over medium heat until chicken is lightly browned. Place cooked chicken directly in your baking dish and continue frying until all of the chicken is cooked through. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 tbsp. butter over medium heat, and add the flour forming a roux. Next, add the lemon juice, capers, white wine and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and stir for approximately 5 minutes. Pour the sauce over your cooked chicken. Bake 350°F for 30 minutes. Serves 6-8.

Points+=9pts per 6 servings
Points+=7pts per 8 servings

Enjoy! 

Shared at The Newlyweds Blog 4/4/12